Do you have a story to share about how you’ve been affected by opioid use? Whether you've personally experienced addiction or whether you've dealt with the issue secondhand — as a friend, family member, treatment provider, a neighbor or otherwise — we want to hear from you.

There are a few ways to weigh in.

Send us a voice memo. If you have an iPhone or Android, or another device that allows you to record voice memos, you can record your story using a voice recorder app of your choice and send it to opioidproject@nhpr.org. If you’re new to using audio recorders on your phone, we recommend checking out these helpful instructions from WNYC before you get started. (Just make sure you email your recording to opioidproject@nhpr.org, not the address for WNYC’s project!) We recommend using the prompts below (keep scrolling) as a jumping-off point for your recordings.

Leave us a voicemail. We set up a phone line to collect your stories about opioid use. Call 603.513.7799, and leave us a message about how you’ve been affected. Space is limited, so we recommend using one of the prompts listed below (keep scrolling) as a way to focus your response. By leaving a message here, you are agreeing that NHPR can use this audio in our reporting online or on-air. You don’t have to leave your full name with your message, and we won’t publish your phone number anywhere. Someone from NHPR will contact you if we’re interested in using your recording.

Add your story to this survey. If you’re comfortable and ready to record, we recommend just jumping in using one of the above options. If you want to tell us about your experiences but aren’t sure you want your story to be public, or if you have suggestions for issues you think we should be looking into, we invite you to weigh in using the form right here.

No matter which method you use, one of our reporters will follow up with you before we publish your responses. NHPR reserves the right to lightly edit the audio or text you submit for clarity or length, but we’ll be careful not to misconstrue your perspective or take your words out of context.

What kind of stories are we looking for?

We're looking for stories from all sides — parents, providers, people personally affected or otherwise. Feel free to tell your story in the way that makes the most sense to you, but here are some questions that might help you to give you a sense of where to start and what we're hoping to focus on. You can choose to answer as many or as few of these as you’d like, but we recommend trying to keep your answers to two minutes or less for each response. (We can help with editing, if needed.)

How have you been impacted by the opioid crisis? (This doesn’t have to be too long or detailed, whatever is most comfortable for you: “I’m in recovery…” “My brother/sister/child/parent has struggled with addiction…” “I work in treatment/prevention/recovery…”)

What was the most important turning point in your or your loved one’s path to seeking help?

What worked well for you or your loved one when seeking help? What didn’t work?

What does New Hampshire still need to fix when it comes to helping those struggling with addiction?

What do you think about the approach the state seems to be taking right now to address this issue?

What do you need more of, from state officials broadly or from treatment/recovery providers?

What do you wish more people understood about opioid addiction or the people affected by it?

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned about addiction? (Or, how has this most changed you?)

Some tips, if you’re new to audio recording

It’s best if you try to record your story in a quiet location with little to no background noise. This project is all about your voice, so we want to make sure we can hear you as clearly as possible!

It’s OK if you sound unscripted — or if you say “like” or “um,” or need to take a pause. We want these to sound natural, like you’re telling your story to someone one-on-one.

If you’re nervous about recording, but don’t want to sound too formal, it might help to jot down some notes for yourself to identify the important points, stories or moments that most illustrate the points you hope to make. Even just a few simple reminders or phrases might help you to feel more comfortable about what you’re going to be saying. (But feel free to just pick up the phone and start recording without a script, too!)

If you have any questions at all (about what we’re looking for, or on the technical side of things), feel free to reach out to us at opioidproject@nhpr.org — someone from our team will follow up with you as soon as possible.